Politics of Dancing
by chryslin
Summary: Harry suddenly notices Ginny. But is it too late? She doesn't seem to see him.....
1. One Thing Leads to Another

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Chapter One: One Thing Leads To Another

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A/N: Chapter title is a song by The Fixx. Story title is by Re-Flex. Full court bows to my smug sister Queens for their support, innuendo, and beta-reading.....especially Firebolt909 and Ashwinder for their musical inspiration. I've never met a textual I didn't like...

Harry felt his head hit the dining table. A small splash of pumpkin juice hit his collar as his goblet tipped precariously. Feeling too defeated to fight back, he simply covered his head with his hands and awaited his sticky orangy fate. When the expected deluge didn't arrive, he peered out sullenly from behind his arm. Ron was staring glumly into space having caught up the juice just before it began its dancing stagger over and onto Harry's head.

"Er…thanks…" Harry muttered, sitting up and staring about him. The entire Great Hall was in a state of joyous tumult at Dumbledore's announcement. There were squeals and shrill giggles as well has cat-calls and teasing laughter.

Another Yule Ball? 

He felt his stomach lurch slightly before hitting his feet at the very thought. His mind skipped back to last year's Ball momentarily before wincing and scampering away. He tried to leaf through the vastly unpleasant memories for just one moment when he wasn't squirming with embarrassment or tamping down feelings of jealousy that night. Well, there was the part when he neglected Pavarti so shamefully that she defected to another table and another boy for the rest of the evening. That this was the highlight made him feel doubly worse. With a heavy sigh, he picked up his book bag. Ron silently followed suit and they both headed for the door.

The welcome breath of freedom that came as they exited the Hall was short lived. 

"So…you going to go?"

Harry turned sharply. "What?"

"Er…going, are you?" Ron had turned to examine a portrait of Pallas Athene. Harry wasn't fooled. Ron could act unconcerned, but his ears were bright red and threatening to set his whole face ablaze. Besides, the Goddess was well and sturdily clad in her armour – there was absolutely nothing interesting about her.

"Of course not!" Harry was a bit surprised at how angry he sounded. "I mean, last year I HAD to be there. There's no way I'll go through all that rot for no reason again!" A sudden alien thought occurred to him. "Why d'you want to know?"

"No reason…just wondered." Ron suddenly lost interest in the painting and seemed to be intently digging through his bag. Harry stared down at him as he slammed it to the ground to continue his search. "Harry…got a quill?" 

'Yeah…" Harry pulled a slightly worse-for-the-wear feather from his bag. 

"Thanks…er…a scrap of parchment?" he continued to dig. 

"Here!"

Suddenly annoyed, he thrust a bit of paper at his friend and strode past him toward the stairs. Ron didn't seem to notice his pique as he started to scribble. Harry glanced over his shoulder and saw him crumple both the quill and paper with an oath and toss them to the ground. He paused nonchalantly on the landing to tie his shoe, watching carefully. To his amazement, Ron left them both where they lay and walked purposefully back toward the Great Hall. The doors opened with a crash and students began streaming out in chattering waves, creating a current for him to swim against. Harry leapt down to grab up the quill and paper – if Ron wasn't going to be mindful about leaving his stuff around where anyone could see it, someone had to take care, RIGHT? Glancing up, he saw that his friend was nowhere to be seen. It was his quill and parchment anyhow…With only a moment's twinge of guilt, he opened the crumpled note and his scar wrinkled in puzzlement.

"You said that I should ask you first next time –"

Like fragments of broken glass reassembling themselves magically into a window, the pieces fell one by one into place. "Ask you –"? To the BALL? Ron was inviting someone to the Yule Ball? Harry felt his mouth drop slowly as his brain screeched and creaked into motion. "You said…NEXT time?"

Next time…next time…NEXT TIME? An image of two red and angry faces came into focus before him. They were yelling at each other in a whirl of bushy hair and lacy dress robes. Ron….HERMIONE?

Well. 

So Ron was actually going to invite….Hermione?

Harry made his way up the stairs and toward Charms class automatically. Students pushed past him in vast chattering waves, but he stared unaware as he trudged up the long stone staircase. He felt stunned. He didn't know which part to examine first. ALL of the parts were…stunning. 

Why would Ron want to invite Hermione to—a dance? Ron had had a worse time of it than Harry last year. Between neglecting _his_ date Padma and his jealous anger over Viktor Krum….

Oh.

THAT'S why Ron wanted to invite – HERMIONE? 

Now Harry's head started to feel a bit light. Ron fancied Hermione! But that was impossible! He thought of the years of arguments and silences and accusations between the two. They seemed to spend more time teasing each other. It made no sense that they would…it just seemed completely foreign. 

And yet…Harry couldn't deny that he had suspected something akin to this last year when he'd witnessed the ugly battle between the two in the Gryffindor Common room. But that had been different. It had just been a momentary insanity on Ron's part. Sure, there had been a few moments lately when the two seemed to get suddenly stupid and awkward around each other for no reason. There was that time in the Three Broomsticks a few weeks before when Hermione had been accidentally shoved off-balance and practically landed in Ron's lap. Harry had barely noticed the bright red faces and stammered apologies, but now as he examined it from this new bizarre perspective, he saw a few other things. Like the grins that didn't seem to completely fade from either face despite their apparent embarrassment. Or Ron's tone of voice as he teased her later…had he BEEN FLIRTING? Harry realized with horror that he very well might have been! And Hermione hadn't really seemed mad…she just sort of grinned and blushed and even – Harry's mouth dropped again -- she had acted like…like…a GIRL! She hadn't lectured Ron about his stupidity or threatened to hex him or anything. 

Ron and Hermione were…what? They were his best friends. They had risked their lives for him and he them. They spent all of their time together, in classes and out. If Ron and Hermione were to -- Harry shuddered slightly at the words – go out together, where did that put him in the scheme of things?

"Erm..Harry?" A soft, hesitant voice startled him. "Are you OK?"

He whirled around to see Ginny, who was standing there clutching her book bag and looking at him with mild concern. The large brown eyes asked questions. There was a slightly bemused smile on her face. He felt his face warm with embarrassment as he realized that he'd been standing stock still in the middle of the crowded Charms corridor. 

"Yeah…er…sure, Ginny….er…why?"

He could tell that he'd failed in his attempt to appear normal and not freaked out. She cocked her head slightly as if taking his measure, then shrugged.

"No reason, I guess. Just you looking like you've been petrified maybe. Whatever." He saw a slight blush tint her cheeks as she turned abruptly and disappeared in the throng.

Great. He puffed out an exasperated breath. He'd looked a total prat. He'd seen it in her eyes – eyes that usually held warmth and shy regard when they'd beheld him had looked amused and a little scornful. Feeling even more disgruntled now, he marched stiffly into the Charms classroom and stopped dead.

There were Hermione and Ron. Sitting together silently. Both looking awkward and embarrassed. Both grinning stupidly and blushing violently. Harry watched in stunned bewilderment as Hermione turned to say something to Ron and he jumped to attention, leaning into her a little more closely than necessary to listen. Her eyes seemed…softer somehow. She would look into his face then down as if suddenly shy. She looked…really nice. She didn't look any different somehow – just…prettier. Ron laughed and she joined in, her hand touching Ron's shoulder lightly. Harry felt he was looking at two strangers -- older, more experienced than him and very, very far away. 

Professor Flitwick climbed upon his stack of books and called the class to order. There was no help for it. Harry was stuck. He sat down next to the pair. Neither seemed to notice he'd arrived. 

Harry didn't want to think that he was upset by the latest development between his two best friends. Ron had told him that he'd asked Hermione to the ball. They'd left it at that and it never occurred to either of them to discuss the matter further. What was there to say? "I'm jealous because I feel left out Ron?" But Harry wasn't. Not really. He had certainly never thought of Hermione in that light before. It was just…so…alien and new. It was as if a hippogriff had landed in the Gryffindor common room and everyone knew it, but wouldn't talk about it. So they would just sort of walk around it. But it took up quite a lot of space…

Harry shook his head slightly to clear it. His unread History of Magic text was open in front of him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that there was definitely NO hippogriff sitting in the middle of the room, just the usual assorted activities – studying, chess-playing, slacking off. A group of sixth years were gathered around the fire discussing the Cannon's latest defeat. High-pitched giggling from the far corner indicated that Lavendar and Pavarti were discussing their favorite topic – the ball. He groaned slightly. That seemed to be the only thing anyone talked about now. Well, not everyone. Harry had overheard Cho Chang in a corridor telling a friend that she would be going home for the break and not attending it. She'd sounded sort of muffled and strange, like she was trying not to cry. He'd hurried away then – eager to not be seen eavesdropping and feeling the weight of guilt that was never far away. He would never ask Cho now anyhow. He would see her sometimes and didn't feel any of the strange sensations he used to get in his stomach. When he'd first noticed this phenomenon, it had intrigued him and he'd gone out of his way to cross her path as an experiment. Nothing. Seeing her pain at last year's Leaving Feast when Cedric was eulogized had put his ardor to rest for good. Now the only thing he felt toward her was sorrow and regret. 

With a muttered curse, he tossed his quill down and slammed the book shut. He didn't want to think about Cho or Cedric or the stupid ball! Wasn't there anyone around Hogwarts beside Harry that didn't care about the thing? He pushed his chair back, determined to find someone that didn't when a sudden shadow fell across his book. Blinking up in surprise; he saw a slight figure in a huge green jumper twisting her fingers together. 

"Oh…hi Ginny…" Harry smiled slightly, hoping she had forgotten how stupid he'd looked frozen stiff in the hallway. Her eyes didn't look amused anymore…they looked…he almost started with surprise. They were wide and looked very very hard and determined. They were shining wildly. Was she OK? He'd never seen her look so…so…**_bright._** For someone so shy, she really seemed to look quite colorful at the moment with her red Weasley hair everywhere and her cheeks white in contrast.

"Er…Gin – are you OK?"

The glittering brown eyes dropped suddenly. He followed her gaze bemusedly and could only see his shoe tops; nothing unusual. He heard a low trembling voice --

"H-h-arry.WILLYOUGOTOTHEBALLWITHME?"

He blinked.

"What?"

Those eyes were back. Staring right through him. He could see that she was breathing quickly by the rise and fall of the green knit sweater. 

"The…ball." It came out in a whisper. "Would you…go..with..me?" It trailed off.

Harry stared up at his best friend's little sister. He felt his eyes lock in to the wide brown ones that looked so different from the shy sweet ones he'd ignored.

He heard a voice say "Yeah." 

It took him a minute to realize that it was his own. 

Ginny's face froze briefly before melting into an wash of pink and smiles. The hard eyes suddenly blossomed into joyful radiance. She nodded, opened her mouth to speak, then shut it and nodded again. The brightly-colored figure turned abruptly on her heel and marched away. 

He felt his mouth drop open as the realization of what he'd just done hit him. "I _didn't_ just say yes to her…" Harry could hear the incredulous voice in his head. He'd agreed to go to the ball when that was the last thing he wanted to do! He slumped down in his chair, trying to figure out how he had managed to do that and what would he do now? Harry had a sudden vision of Ron challenging him to a wand duel as he tried to explain that it was an accident – he hadn't meant to go with her. He groaned and smacked himself in the head. Stupid prat! Ron would never believe it because neither did Harry.


	2. Every Breath You Take

The Great Hall was being transformed into a wonderland of magical snowdrifts that were warm and soft to the touch. Walls were bedecked with fragrant greenery that twinkled with the inevitable fairy lights. House- elves scurried about happily arranging huge bouquets of dark red snow- roses, holly and pine into mammoth urns and vases. Scattered around the periphery of the hall were twelve magnificent Christmas trees, each a wonder of individual beauty. One was nothing but a blizzard of tiny white lights embellished by a thousand tiny prisms; the effect of which was an almost blinding rainbow aura. Another was constructed entirely out of flowers with tiny forget-me-not lights. Harry paused, Firebolt on his shoulder, to stare though the open doors in wonder. He'd never seen it look so beautiful. It would look startlingly like the outdoors when it was completed, especially with the star-studded night sky ceiling.  
  
Heart feeling lighter, he shoved open the doors and welcomed the hard, cold sunlight on his face. The grounds were covered with a thick, silent blanket of real snow under a cloudless sky. He trudged to the Quidditch pitch, enjoying the crunching sound his feet made in the sharp silence. Even the long glittering icicles that decorated every tree branch and windowsill seemed to grin and wink in a friendly way. By the time he was soaring over the treetops, he felt he might actually enjoy the ball.  
  
Ginny had been strangely silent to him since her abrupt invitation that night over a month ago. At first, he'd been relieved. He still couldn't figure out how it happened. He'd turned down several girls last year that were all bigger and more apt to beat him up than she. And he didn't even HAVE to go this year! When he tried to remember the encounter to analyze it, he found strange, gaping holes in his memory. He kept seeing huge brown eyes blazing at him and very little else. These and other similar thoughts had kept him so bemused and annoyed for the next week that he'd barely noticed that Ginny seemed to be avoiding him. He'd finally realized it when Hermione brought it up.  
  
"Erm..Harry?" She was skinning pickled leeches for a particularly noxious mixture in Potions. Harry had to lean over their shared cauldron to hear, pretending to watch with great interest through the steam when Snape stalked by. He'd become even more unpleasant and punishing as end of term approached, if that were possible.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Are you going to the ball?" he saw her dart a quick side-glance at him before turning her concentration back to puncturing the slimy flesh with the point of her knife. "Because I'd heard." she paused in an aggravating way.  
  
"Heard what?" he asked defensively feeling the heat rise to his cheeks.  
  
"Well, honestly Harry, you don't have to jump down my throat. I mean, I heard you were taking Ginny to the dance but I figured it was just gossip since you never said anything about it. What makes it even more weird is that she doesn't even seem to notice you much these days. In fact, I'm almost sure that Dean's asked her from the attention he's been giving her lately."  
  
Harry frowned slightly. Hermione was right! Ginny.hadn't said a word to him since that night. Maybe he was off the hook if she was going with Dean. Feeling slightly irritated that she hadn't bothered to tell him, he took the knife from Hermione and started skinning another leech. Hm. If Ginny had dumped him, he wasn't saying anything about it to Hermione. Wait a minute! Dumped him? How dare she dump him when he hadn't even wanted to go when she asked? He had a sudden vivid memory of Dean Thomas watching Ginny and saying in a low voice that her hair was.what was it? Alive. That was it. Harry wrinkled his brow in concentration, picturing it.Yes.it did curl and wind around in that blazing color as if it were alive.  
  
"OWWWW!" he dropped the knife, sucking his thumb where the pickling juice was burning the deep gash he'd created in his reverie.  
  
"What's the matter, Potter?" came the lazy, amused drawl from across the room. "Granger try to kiss you?"  
  
The titters and snorts from the Slytherins were joined reluctantly by a few Gryffindors, including Hermione. Harry glanced over at her, face burning. It always amazed him that she never let that stuff bother her. He, on the other hand thought that Malfoy would look much more humble with a pickled leech dangling out of each ear and nostril. A crash from behind them made him jump. He instinctively pulled his wand as he whirled around.  
  
"Say that again Malfoy!" Ron, who had been working with Dean, kicked aside their cauldron, splashing huge dollops of oily greenish ooze all over the floor and himself. In two quick strides, he had Draco by the collar of his robe and was lifting him up to meet his eye. "Go ahead! What was that you were saying?" Malfoy's eyes bulged as he kicked and struggled. Crabbe and Goyle started toward them.  
  
"Weasley!"  
  
Snape stood, arms crossed. His glare was blazing across the dungeon.  
  
Harry saw Ron swallow once, Malfoy still dangling from his hands. He was festooned with several pickled leeches, including one that would have looked like Uncle Vernon's mustache if it were two inches off-center. But no one was laughing. On the contrary, it was such an unexpected explosion that the whole class seemed slightly stunned. Ron tightened his hands momentarily and glanced at Hermione. She was standing scarlet faced; eyes wide, hands clasped over her mouth.  
  
"I suggest you put Mr. Malfoy down at once or suffer a particularly unpleasant detention. As it stands, I'm giving you two normally unpleasant ones. And fifty points from Gryffindor. Clean up this mess." The potions Master turned silently away.  
  
Draco hit the ground with a dull thud. The room was silent as Ron quietly turned and walked back to his desk. He seemed perfectly normal now, pulling out his wand to clean up the spilled sludge. Only Harry could see that he was just holding his temper in check - he knew that look.  
  
The class continued with no further interuption. He asked Hermione if she was all right and she nodded briefly, but had continued her work without another word. He didn't pursue the matter. At least she's forgotten about the whole Ginny thing, thought Harry looking at his still beet-red lab partner. Hermione had given up even trying to cut her leeches and ignored him when he gave an exaggerated sigh and picked up the knife again. She kept glancing furtively over at Ron, who didn't look up for the rest of the period.  
  
That odd left-behind feeling returned to Harry as he cut. So this was what liking someone like that was about. Well, they could keep it. Of course, he grinned slightly to himself, Malfoy was a beautiful, pathetic sight when his eyes bulged out. He wished Lucius could see his little pure-blooded son dangling and kicking from Ron's fingers like that.  
  
Hermione made straight for Ron when class ended. Feeling uncomfortable, Harry pretended not to notice them whispering earnestly together as he put his ingredients back in his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He wasn't going to interrupt that for anything, thank you very much.  
  
  
  
In the following weeks, it seemed like Ginny was suddenly everywhere, but Hermione was right -- she didn't seem to notice him at all. He'd catch a glimpse of the red head over the crowds in the corridor or down the Gryffindor table at dinner, but it was always the copper pony-tail he saw. She always seemed to be laughing or chatting with someone and never seemed to see him no matter how much he stared. Not that he stared. He just looked. He didn't want to just walk up to her in front of everybody; his cheeks started to burn at the mere thought. Harry gritted his teeth. This was really getting annoying. If she didn't want to go with him to the ball, why didn't she just say so? They had always been friends. Sort of.  
  
He'd never noticed before that she had a life at Hogwarts independent of her brothers and he found it somehow unnerving, like watching a total stranger. Well wasn't she? Some inner voice was niggling him. She was as good as a stranger! Had he ever even tried to have a conversation with her, let alone try to really get to know her? Well. she had just always been there. Ginny. Ron's little sister. So should he be surprised that she had friends and good times and .boys that liked her? No wonder she didn't want..Hm.  
  
For the next few days Harry observed her silently. He felt oddly guilty that he'd never tried to get to know her before and somehow felt he could make up for lost time. He needed something to distract him these days anyhow. Ron and Hermoine weren't very good company between blushes and giggles and whispers. Before he knew how it happened, he'd made Ginny his favorite hobby and spent more time with her in his own mind than she would ever know.  
  
The first thing he noticed about her was that she didn't study much. When other students were frantically scattering notes and textbooks across the Common Room, she would be curled up in a corner reading or she would disappear completely. She wasn't in the library; Hermione confirmed that she only saw her there to get books, not to study. Not that Harry was pressing for information or anything, but how did she DO that? he thought indignantly. No one was really that smart - look at Hermione! She was the smartest girl in school and she rarely did anything else. Maybe she was flunking out.No, he'd have heard.  
  
One morning he saw her standing still before a huge gilded mirror in one of the upper corridors. She quickly tightened her tail of hair then paused and slowly touched her collar, bending and looking closely at it in the reflection. She fingered the frayed edges and pulled out a stray thread. As she stared down at it he saw her shoulders lift then sink in a sigh. He was puzzled momentarily then felt stupid. Of course! Ginny didn't like being poor any more than Ron. The thought made him uncomfortable. He wondered how much it bothered her. Ginny never sported the fancy hair ties or jewelry that most of the girls had. Weren't clothes and stuff really important to them? To hear Lavendar and Pavarti, it was the most fascinating topic in the world after who's-dating-who and Professor Trelawney. It was probably a lot harder for her than for the men in the Weasley family. None of them, with the possible exception of Bill, seemed to care about what he wore or how old it looked as long as it didn't have lace trailing from the cuffs.  
  
The next afternoon brought the Gryffindor Quidditch team out for a bit of a scrimmage in the cold, windy sunlight. The festive air seemed to effect the whole team as they zigzagged and darted about the pitch. There was a good bit of easy-going laughter and mock competition. Harry left his worries behind as he kicked off into the air. He shot around the goal hoops in a lightening fast clover-leaf pattern to warm up.  
  
Suddenly a clear angry voice from below broke his concentration.  
  
"ACCIO Fred!"  
  
"HEY!"  
  
Harry jerked his head around to see Fred clutching his broom as it seemed to fly backward toward the ground of it's own volition. The look on his face made George double over with laughter as he streaked by.  
  
"ACCIO George!"  
  
George suddenly choked as his own mount stopped dead and began a sideways slide downward, falling faster and faster. Following the sound of the voice, Harry gazed down at a small figure holding up a wand. It was Ginny - hair whipping around a flushed and angry face. She seemed to drag her two older brothers with a strength Harry didn't even know was possible. He was stunned that the Summoning Charm could even be used on two very unwilling and airborne wizards.  
  
"GINNY!" George howled as he started to spin wildly. "What are you doing?"  
  
The two brothers thumped to the ground grunting. The team was highly amused and taunted and laughed as they shot back and forth. Harry hovered in the air watching breathlessly. He was struck dumb by the scene.The tiny red head was swiveling back and forth between the two spread-eagle and winded Weasleys.  
  
"Just who do you think you are? I've HAD IT with you two! Poor Dennis HATES fire lizards! YOU KNOW THAT! Everyone KNOWS THAT! When they started coming out of his camera he practically FAINTED! If Colin hadn't grabbed him he could have fallen and been HURT and it would have been YOUR fault! When will you learn that ENOUGH is ENOUGH?" she shrieked, actually kicking Fred where he sat down.  
  
Harry's mouth dropped open. Ginny? That was Ginny? He'd never heard her say that many words since he'd met her! He sat back on the Firebolt and stared down amazed. He gaped even more when the twins cowered under the wrath of their little sister. Both stared at the ground ashamedly. They were scared to death! A sudden tingle coursed through him at the thought.  
  
"Er.come on Gin!" George mumbled sulkily. "How do you even know it was -"  
  
He was immediately silenced by the dainty application of a foot to HIS posterior. They both leapt to their feet and started backing away as the storm began again. Fred tripped over his broom and fell to the ground, only to jump back up in a panic as his sister bared down upon them.  
  
"DON'T give me THAT rubbish! Why don't you pick on someone your own size? Who ELSE would do that? No one else is so mean and thoughtless and .STUPID!"  
  
Ginny whipped her wand around like a rapier to cover them both.  
  
"Don't you EVER let me see you do something like that AGAIN! If you INSIST on playing your stupid, infantile games, then do it to a Slytherin or someone that deserves it, not some poor kid like Dennis!"  
  
With a parting glare, she marched away in a cloud of red hair and wrath. Harry stared mesmerized. Fred and George quickly grabbed their brooms and slunk away without a word. By the droop of their shoulders, Harry guessed they were well and truly chastened. By Ginny. Without a fight.  
  
The rest of the team apparently decided to follow after the embarrassed twins to finish the humiliation their sister started. The sight of the famous Weasleys brought low by a tiny girl was something they weren't going to forget any time soon. Nor would Fred and George when they were done with them. Insults and laughter soon drifted in their wake back up the path to the castle.  
  
Harry suddenly found himself alone on the pitch. He flew absently around the hoops as he replayed the scene in his head. He felt a strange thrill when he pictured Ginny looking so enraged. She looked so confident and strong. Obviously she was. She could scare her older brothers into sulky retreat! He couldn't quite take it in. No matter how much Ron and the older Weasleys would talk about her temper and outgoing personality, he'd never quite believed it. He had only ever seen a shy, quiet, sensitive little sister when he'd bothered to look at all.  
  
Suddenly a picture of a younger, smaller girl leapt to his mind and he shuddered, landing abruptly. The figure was crumpled in a heap at the feet of a horribly laughing, taunting Tom Riddle. He'd put an innocent child under the Imperious Curse and used her almost to death. Harry had never really thought about it before! Ginny was the only other person he knew beside himself that had experienced first-hand the evil that was Voldemort. She had come so close to dying that day; drained of life by the monster that pretended to be a friend then betrayed her. Hadn't he even once thought about what that must have done to her? She'd never even hinted at it, seeming to prefer that he forget about the time they shared in the Chamber of Secrets. But he couldn't deny it - there was a connection between them that no one else could share. Why hadn't he seen that before?  
  
He gathered up his broom and his maintenance equipment and started up the path. Images and emotions whirled around in his head. He didn't know what to think about this person he'd benignly ignored for four years, but he did know one thing. She was his date for the dance.wasn't she.? Well.if she was -- he was going to make sure that she had the best night of her life. He owed her that much after everything they'd gone through together. A half- formed notion swam somewhere in the back of his head that it wasn't only altruism that motivated him, but it was way too complicated to examine at present.  
  
With a new resolve, he quickened his pace as he turned the corner of the garden wall. The small figure that ran directly into him fell back to the gravel with a yelp of surprise and pain. The red hair that tumbled over her face was unmistakable. Shocked to find the object of his most recent musings sprawled so suddenly at his feet, Harry froze to the spot gazing down helplessly as Ginny wrestled the copper curls back to peer up at him; eyes blazing.  
  
Her face drained of color and her eyes grew wide. They stared at each other for what seemed to Harry to be an eternity. Something told him to help her up - apologize, DO SOMETHING. But his mouth refused to move. His arm stayed at his side. What was it about those eyes that made him act like an idiot? She didn't look mad anymore, just embarrassed. Forcing his mouth open like a trout, the first thing he could think of came tumbling out.  
  
"Am I taking you to the Ball or not?"  
  
He wanted to kick himself. Where did that come from? It just seemed so important. AND rude. Her eyes faltered momentarily.  
  
"Er.do you still.want to?" she asked gazing at him in a way that made his stomach feel..strange.  
  
"YES. I want to. So we're going then?"  
  
WHY was he acting this way? It was like his brain had flown ten feet up and was watching with amusement as he squirmed and stammered. It was probably hanging about with Peeves he thought absently. They deserved each other.  
  
A smile blossomed up, and again he felt an odd, vaguely familiar lurch in his stomach. She nodded, all brown eyes and pink cheeks and red hair.  
  
"Right then." Harry nodded solemnly.  
  
"Right.then." she dropped her eyes and giggled softly. Harry finally managed to hold out his hand and she took it, sending a sudden shiver up his arm. As he pulled her to her feet, she smiled into his eyes for the first time, effectively rendering him mute for the rest of the walk to the castle. 


	3. Bizarre Love Triangle

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Ok…I forgot to credit the last chapter title to The Police. This chapter title is from New Order. As always everybody else is JKRs. 

Feel free to suggest any cheesy 80s songs for possible chapter titles. But be prepared to back them up with plausible(?) plots!

"So…What do you think?" Ron stared into the mirror and nervously adjusted his new dress robes. 

"No lace anywhere." Harry grinned, attempting to comb his hair into something approaching tidiness. "Definite improvement."

Ron blew out a relieved breath. "I thought Fred and George were totally barking mad when they decided I needed new robes. That must explain the fact that they got me some that actually look good."

"Yeah. Just wait until they turn into smoke and leave you naked later." 

Ron paled. "They _wouldn't_! Would they?"

Harry smacked him in the back of the head by way of an answer and gave up on his hair. He was trying hard to appear unconcerned in front of Ron anyhow. As long as he continued to think that Harry was just taking Ginny to be nice, he would skip the death threats. He shuddered to think what he and the twins would do if they thought he…er…didn't mind taking their sister.

Glancing into the mirror, Harry was shocked to see that he was almost too tall for the green dress robes that had been new last year. It didn't look _bad_, he guessed. But would Ginny notice? Not that it mattered really, but he preferred that she not laugh out loud when she saw him. 

"Well. I'm ready. You?" Ron grabbed his wand and stuck it somewhere in the voluminous robes. 

"Er…yeah. Sure." Harry decided that he felt more nervous before a big Quidditch match, but not much more. This meant so much to Ginny. _That_ was why his stomach was fluttering oddly. They headed toward the stairs, bumping shoulders into the door jamb as they both attempted to exit together.

The Common Room was deserted. A fire crackled contentedly in the grate, creating the only light in the room. 

"Hi." A shy voice made them both jump. Hermione stepped out of the shadowy girls staircase. Harry shut his gaping mouth before glancing quickly at Ron for his reaction. He wasn't disappointed. His best friend seemed to have been struck dumb. Harry couldn't blame him. 

She wore robes of a dusty rose shade. Her hair was pulled back on top of her head with a few shiny curls tumbling toward her neck. Her cheeks matched her costume and her eyes shone when she saw Ron in such a way that Harry turned uncomfortably away as if caught eavesdropping. When he did, he saw a small white figure emerge from the stairs. 

For one split second Harry wondered who she was before the large brown eyes lifted to look into his. The jolt of realization made him blink stupidly for a moment. Was that really Ginny? Again he felt the sensation of beholding a stranger. 

The white robes looked like none he'd ever seen before. They shimmered in translucent layers from shoulders that were only partially covered. On any other girl, Harry would never have noticed, but now it stunned him. The green embroidered neckline curved down…down…he jerked his eyes back up. The red curls were caught up loosely at the back of her head and seemed to tumble everywhere. He was suddenly reminded of a painting he'd seen once. It was of some goddess that was coming out of the ocean without any…er…well…she had that same look of slightly wanton disarray. He didn't know whether to throw a cloak over her or to… wow. He'd never seen her look so pretty.

"Hi Harry." The greeting was hardly more than a whisper, causing a shiver to run up his back. Harry stared at the unfamiliar figure with something like awe. Her lips were darker than usual and her cheeks glowed in the firelight. 

"Hi." He cleared his throat. "You look…really…er..nice."

Her eyes lit up as her cheeks flooded with color.

"Thanks."

"You two going to stand there all night or are you coming?" Ron asked gesturing to the portrait hole. "Hey Gin! You look really all right! Shame the twins couldn't have got you some new robes too. I know how it is." he added sympathetically. "But hey -- maybe they will next year and you can burn that old rag!"

Like a candle snuffed out, the eyes died. The edges brimmed with tears of hurt pride. She looked down quickly to hide them, but Harry saw them with a sudden burst of fury. How could Ron say that to her? Especially when she looked so…so…what -- was he blind? Besides, Harry had seen her at last year's Yule Ball – she couldn't have been wearing those robes; he definitely would have noticed _them._ He opened his mouth to tell her so, but she brushed past him without a word. She slipped through the door without looking up. 

"Ron!" Hermione whispered angrily. "Why did you say that?"

"What?" Ron looked honestly confused.

"Oh, never mind." She sighed, gathering up her skirts and climbing though.

"What's she on about?" Ron grumbled. Harry rolled his eyes and went to catch up with Ginny.

The Great Hall was as magnificent has Harry had hoped. The huge dining tables had disappeared and been replaced by little, intimate nooks glittering with fairy lights and candles with multi-colored flames. Shadows danced a minuet along the walls; they paused to watch them bow and curtsey as they flirted fans and poufy little handkerchiefs. Ginny looked up at him with a smile so full of joy and anticipation that Harry grinned back just as widely; relieved that she left the sting from Ron's comment back in the Common Room. 

"Let's find a place." said Hermione, leading Ron by the hand to a tiny table sheltered under some pine boughs. The four friends sat down as they continued to survey the scene. Harry saw Pavarti looking as pretty as last year but looking MUCH happier on Justin's arm. Dean and Seamus hailed them from across the room. Lavendar was with Seamus and Dean with a pretty Ravenclaw fourth year. Fred and George were laughing uproariously in a corner with Angelina and Katie Bell. Everyone looked excited and happy. 

"Hey, Harry. Want to go get some butterbeer?" Ron raised his eyebrows to Hermione who nodded smiling.

"Oh. Sure." He glanced over at Ginny who was too busy gazing around at the glittering crowd to even notice. He followed Ron.

"Hey – the Weird Sisters are here again!" Ron pointed to a small crowd across the Hall. Musical equipment was being set up amidst a group of tittering and whispering classmates. Harry jumped as he heard a mass squeal. A very tall blond young man had entered and was trying to get through the throng. He was immediately accosted by students with quills and scraps of parchment. 

"WOW!" Ron said enthusiastically. "It's Kirley McCormack! He wasn't here last year – touring with his sister and the Portrees."

"You mean Meaghan McCormack's brother?" Harry gasped looking at him with new interest. Meaghan McCormack was the Keeper for the Pride of Portree, an excellent Scottish Quidditch team. Not only was she an amazing Keeper; having created an arresting defensive move dubbed "The Merry McCormack"; but was also consistently included in Witch Weekly's Most Beautiful Witches issue. More than one young wizard at Hogwarts had the famous poster of her with her Quidditch robes slipping off one shoulder. 

"Yeah! Let's go meet him!" Ron grabbed two butterbeers and started across the floor.

"Wait, Ron. He looks sort of busy right now." Kirley McCormack was signing autographs and chatting with the students good-naturedly. "Maybe later. I don't want to leave Gin – I mean -- the girls _are_ waiting."

"OK! OK already! Harry, if I didn't know better I'd swear you _wanted_ to be here with my sister!" Ron rolled his eyes and they headed back to their table. It was empty. "So how did we manage to lose them that quickly? That's got to be a world record."

"No, the world record was how quickly Padma dumped you last year." Harry sniggered and ducked a mock blow. He squinted around the sparkling hall. 

"There they are!" Ron pointed. Hermione and Ginny had moved to peer surreptitiously around a Christmas tree. Their eyes were fixed on the stage. He laughed "I knew it! Here we are missing a chance to meet Meaghan McCormack's brother and those two are ogling him like they're Lavendar and Pavarti! I never knew they were that interested in the Pride of Portree." Hermione whispered something in Ginny's ear and they both collapsed in giggles. "Oi!"

Harry grinned as they were completely ignored. 

"Somehow I don't think they're interested in his sister Ron."

"What? Oh…yeah. Maybe." Harry was amused to see that Ron looked slightly put out at the thought. He guessed that once you've been jealous of Viktor Krum, no one was out of the running as a potential romantic threat. Ron shoved the drinks at him and wove his way over to the girls. Shaking his head and chuckling, Harry returned to the table juggling 4 bottles of butterbeer. He saw Ginny glance up as Ron approached and break into giggles. He felt that queer feeling in his stomach again. She looked so pretty when she laughed. He saw the laughter die on her face as she stared past Ron. Hermione seemed to gasp and covered her mouth. Puzzled, Harry craned his neck and saw that Kirley McCormack was walking past them. 

He had slightly longish blond hair that seemed to stick in every direction like his own; only Harry suspected that his looked that way on purpose. His robes were in picturesque tatters and he had on long leather boots that showed when he walked. Harry watched as the good-looking musician glanced up and stopped dead still; staring past the Christmas tree. Harry turned curiously to see what was so mesmerizing. He followed his gaze to --

He was staring…at…at....Ginny?

Feeling like he was watching a silent portrait, he gazed at the scene unfolding before him. McCormack turned and approached Hermione and Ginny just as Ron came up. Harry watched as Ron enthusiastically shook his hand and made introductions. The young man nodded and smiled at Hermione, but took Ginny's hand, still staring intently into her face. Harry felt a strange burning in his chest as he saw her smile up at him – he was a lot taller than her. Her cheeks were touched with the pink that usually only appeared when he – _Harry_ was around. He suddenly realized he was on his feet, still watching intently as Ron turned away to whisper to Hermione. McCormack continued to speak to Ginny as if oblivious to anyone else. He watched her nod and smile again; eyes shining. The huge blond guy took her hand again as if to shake it but then…_covered it with his other?_

Harry found himself jogging quickly across the floor. 

"Ouch! Harry!" Ron grumbled as he was elbowed inelegantly out of the way. 

"Er…HI GIN!…er…I've got, well…drinks. I mean – if you want…er…"

Ginny tore her eyes away from the shiny blue ones.

"Oh…Hi Harry. Oh Kirley – " she turned to the rock star. "This is my friend--" 

FRIEND? Harry thought indignantly. 

" --Harry Potter."

"Oh HEY! Harry Potter? Wow! It's great to meet you!" Harry felt his hand grabbed and shaken vigorously. McCormack looked a lot younger close up. Harry bet he couldn't be much older than eighteen. The guy was grinning at him as if he wasn't sopping all over his —his…er…date! "I've heard you're quite a Quidditch player! Well, that and of course, you know – saving the world and all!" He laughed sheepishly. "Wow. Usually I'm not the star-struck one." Ron and Hermione and Ginny all laughed with him.

Harry wanted to yell "Oh shut up! Quit being so cool and so cute and so ….NICE! And -- stay away from…GINNY!" 

He didn't smile.

"Nice to meet you." he said stiffly. 

McCormack raised his eyebrows slightly and glanced over at Ginny. "Er..right. Well, anyhow -- must get on with it I guess. I'll see you all… later?" This last bit was addressed specifically to Ginny. She blushed again and nodded; smiling. 

"He is -- SO COOL!" Ron whispered excitedly as the tall, blond wizard walked away.

"He was SO FUNNY!" Hermione squealed simultaneously. "Oh and he's so nice! Not at all like I would expect from a rock star!"

"Yeah…whatever." Harry muttered, looking at Ginny out of the corner of his eye. She didn't seem to hear any of it. She was staring into space with a tiny smile playing on her lips.

Ron and Hermione headed back to the table still chattering with animation. Ginny hadn't moved.

"Er…Gin?" Her eyes came back into focus.

"Oh…yes?"

"You coming?" He realized with slight amazement that he was holding his breath.

"Oh sure!" she turned and smiled _at him._ His stomach did a somersault. 

Ron and Hermione were still raving about that…musician! Harry snorted softly. He was a little shocked at how hostile he felt toward some guy for simply having blue eyes. Sparkling blue eyes that smiled into Ginny's like she was the only girl in the world. He probably did that to all his fans. Hm. Stupid git.

Ginny glanced up at him and smiled nervously. Harry managed a grin back. _Think of something! Say something! Tell her she's pretty –_

"Er..Ginny –" 

"Harry –" she started at the exact same time. 

They both lapsed into embarrassed silence. Ginny stared into her lap and Harry ran exasperated fingers though his hair, effectively destroying any order he'd imposed earlier. Why was this so hard? He'd spoken to Ginny a hundred times before. He'd watched her for at least that many hours now. Why did he feel that if he opened his mouth, some stupid comment would come spilling out? He could almost see Ginny staring at him with those brilliant brown eyes clouded in puzzlement and dawning contempt.

"Here they come!" Ron grabbed Hermione by the shoulder and pointed. 

A roar went up as over 200 robed students jumped to their feet cheering and clapping. The Weird Sisters had arrived. A high feminine squeal rose over the noise of the crowd as Kirley McCormack stepped to the front of the stage and bowed, laughing. Harry stole a glance at Ginny. She'd turned glowing eyes toward the handsome lead guitarist, her lips turning up in the soft smile of a girl with a lovely secret. He gritted his teeth together, a feeling burning in his brain that he could no longer ignore. 

He'd battled Basilisks and Skrewts. Dementors and giant spiders. He'd fought the most evil wizard the world had ever seen and _beaten him_. _More than once_. But now…now he had to face something that terrified him more than anything he'd ever combatted. He was entering a new and frightening world and wanted nothing more than to turn and run – as fast as possible. A hard knot in his middle clenched tighter and tighter. There was no use fighting it anymore. The ugly truth was right there staring him in the face. 

He was…jealous. There. He'd said it. 

He watched Ginny Weasley raise clapping hands high over her head as the first musical downbeat tore over the crowd -- and admitted defeat.


	4. Dancing with Myself

Dancing With Myself  
  
The moonlight glowed serenely among the stars that glittered in the clear night ceiling. The ghosts had joined the party and were executing a lovely waltz under it. Beneath them Hogwart's students celebrated Christmas with an abandon that could only come from a combination of school break, butterbeer and the Weird Sisters. They were playing their latest hit – "Wizardwall" to the delight of the dancers, most of whom seemed to be girls. Harry noticed that he and Ron weren't the only boys that had declined to join in the faster stuff. Quite a few young wizards were drinking butterbeer and laughing amongst themselves. Their dates were having a wonderful time despite their absence. Or perhaps because of it -- Harry wasn't sure. The girls seemed to just form huge circles and dance alone, yet together. It was quite odd, really.  
  
Harry watched Ginny dance in a whirl of translucent white. She and Hermione had shrugged and skidded right up to the front of the room when they begged off. Ron flopped down in relieved abandon saying that he had warned Hermione of his dancing handicap ahead of time. Ginny gave him a look he couldn't quite interpret, then followed her. That glance was preying on him now as he sat half-listening to Ron go on at length about the Cannons. She looked disappointed, but not surprised. It was as if she wasn't really expecting him to act…well…to act like a date. He kicked the table in petulant anger. Luckily Ron was too absorbed in replaying the Canon's last loss to notice.  
  
SHE invited HIM and now he was being ignored. He dragged his eyes away from the dance floor with a snort. Not half a minute later they were back, still resentful. He wasn't really being the best of company and it frustrated him. It wasn't like he was TRYING to act stupid! On the contrary, he'd even thought of several things to say that sounded almost clever. They just…. just sat there! Like flobberworms on his tongue. Mute. It was ten times worse than with Cho. He'd had so few opportunities to actually speak with her; most of their conversations had happened in his head. And THOSE exchanges always went remarkably well.  
  
Ginny looked beautiful and wild in those robes that left her neck and shoulders almost bare. The tumbling curls seemed to dance and mock him maliciously. He felt the now commonplace feeling of longing in his stomach and wondered absently if this was normal – shouldn't he be feeling it in his heart? With Cho it had felt like a sort of leaden paralysis. Come to think of it – it was remarkably similar with Ginny. Ginny! Of all people. He still couldn't believe it.  
  
He relaxed slightly as he let his mind rove back; replaying various scenes in the past in which Ginny had been somewhere in the picture. It bothered him that she was never in the foreground… or the center. She was an afterthought in almost all of them --always pushed aside like the circulars you discarded to get to the important mail.  
  
He found himself doing this a lot lately. Sometimes he reveled in it; enjoying the feeling of incredulity that he'd not noticed how pretty she'd looked or how smart she was. But now it nagged at him like a ragged fingernail. He'd paid dearly in the past when he'd taken something too lightly – like the second task in the Tournament – he'd waited to figure out the task until it was almost too late. He didn't like feeling like he was might lose something just when it became dear…  
  
With a surge of sudden determination, he decided that he would ask her to dance. Definitely. He would gather all the courage he'd carried into the Chamber of Secrets and into the paddock of the Horntail. He would ask her to dance and she would glow up at him and smile…  
  
As soon as a slow song came on.  
  
He resumed his seat slowly, feeling like a complete git. Ron was staring up at him suspiciously.  
  
"I HOPE you're going to get some more butterbeer, Harry. Thought you might have been thinking about having a bit of a jaunt around the dance floor. I got a sudden image of you flitting about like Hermione or Gin. Not a pretty sight. Best stay out of trouble until a slow song. Then they'll HAVE to come back or dance with each other… they wouldn't do that, would they?" he suddenly sounded worried.  
  
"Erm…Dunno…" Harry felt his ears burn and didn't even bother to cuff him. He shrugged off the embarrassment and planned his next move.  
  
All right. At least he'd been forced to slow dance once before. No one had pointed or laughed at him, so he must have been OK. Yes, he could definitely manage that. And it wouldn't be like last year when everyone was staring at him and the other three champions alone with their partners on the dance floor. No one would even notice. He remembered pulling Ginny up from the garden path and the electric jolt that shocked his hand at her touch. Would it be the same? Only more so? He would have to hold her waist as well. He felt heat rise to his face at the mere thought…Yes, this was definitely the right idea…  
  
It got suddenly quiet. Glancing up, he saw Hermione approaching them. Looking beautiful, she smiled and held out her hand to Ron, who silently took it and followed. Harry started to chuckle at the picture of abject submission when the music pierced his brain. It was a slow song! He jumped to his feet and leaped toward the dance floor.  
  
And stopped dead.  
  
There, bathed in the glow of a thousand tiny lights, two figures circled around the center of the dance floor in perfect harmony. The plaintive melody seemed to curl around them in wisps of rippling chords. They seemed unaware of the whispering and gawping that surrounded them. A tall blond boy was gazing down into the dark, dark eyes of a girl with tumbling red curls dressed in white.  
  
Harry felt himself falling; down, down into the pit of his stomach. He hit bottom with an echoing thud.  
  
It was... it was…Ginny.  
  
An ethereal glow seemed to radiate from her face. Though he couldn't see them in the twinkling radiance, Harry knew that the eyes that gazed so raptly down into hers were a deep twinkling blue.  
  
It was Kirley McCormack.  
  
And the great, good Harry Potter watched little Ginny Weasley clasped in the arms of a good-looking, talented guy…and felt a jealous hatred he'd never felt before. The Hall seemed to freeze in time, leaving the graceful revolving pair alone in a world of their own. They seemed more than happy with that. As Harry watched in growing revulsion, Ginny cocked her head slightly toward McKormack and he whispered in her ear. She lowered her eyes and a smile of quiet joy seemed to bloom on her lips. Harry knew then -- deep in his soul that if a Dementor suddenly appeared in the Great Hall, he would gladly leap forward and shove that grungy, groovy git right up to it's lips.  
  
The warm, awkward lump that beat so queerly against his ribs turned cold as he watched a hand tip Ginny's chin upward and –  
  
He didn't see anything more because he'd fled.  
  
He didn't run – at least he still had his pride -- but he DID bump quite a few robed shoulders as he blindly strode to the door. No one seemed to notice since they were all gazing with gooey approval at the tableaux bathed in a warm glow. He caught a glimpse of RON and even HE looked like he would wait to hear a defense before attempting to land the guy a facer. That betrayal echoed in his middle when he slammed the door behind him. His were the only footsteps through the entryway as he threw himself into the front doors.  
  
The cold hit him squarely in his gut when he landed outside. He embraced it as something real and hard and trustworthy. It was easier to forget the sights he'd witnessed when he inhaled the frigid air in huge gasps. He gazed out over the cold, still sparkle of the frozen lake, trying to banish the image by sheer will alone. But it kept assaulting him – that look of beatific beauty on Ginny's face as she gazed…. He didn't want to feel the anger, the feeling of abandon, but most of all, the sense that, like the snitch that just brushed his hand before speeding away, he'd lost something just at the moment when he should have claimed victory.  
  
He felt a hand on his heaving shoulders and spun around furiously, almost hoping for a fight.  
  
It was Hermione. She was clutching herself against the bone-chilling wind, curls whipping about her face, dress robes billowing frantically. In her dark eyes shown an amazing, silent depth of understanding. Without saying a word, she put her arms around him. He didn't lay his head on her shoulder but he welcomed the refuge and didn't shrug away. She didn't speak; didn't have to -- and Harry was glad. 


End file.
